Catawba Ridge High School tight end and Shrine Bowl pick Brady Ambrose has signed to play college football at Campbell University.
Ambrose, 18, chose the Campbell University Camels located in Buies Creek, N.C., over several other schools including Ivy League colleges Brown and Dartmouth. He committed early signing on Dec. 4. He will be majoring in chemical engineering and has a 4.8 GPA.
“Campbell is an awesome place,” he said. “They just got a new head coach this past year. I am going to be his first recruiting class and I am going to be a part of what the program is going to be about for several years.
“It hit with me going on a visit, where everything was so personalized, unlike going on other visits where there are 50 kids going on the same visit. It was a very family centered atmosphere, which resonated with me.”
Ambrose only played in seven games this season, missing five because of a broken collarbone in the first game of the year. He caught 21 passes for 313 yards and five touchdowns in the games he did play in this season.
One thing that helped Campbell stand out for him was how they stuck by him during his injury.
“The stayed with me the whole time,” he said. “During my first game back against Indian Land, the tight ends coach came down to watch me in that first game. It really hit hard, that they cared about me and came to watch me. They have been right by my side.”
Ambrose will stay at tight end with the Camels and said that the offense they run is like what Catawba Ridge does as well.
“It is going to be a very familiar offense with me,” he said.
With about two weeks left in school, Ambrose will be graduating later this month and will head off to college starting in January. He said it also helped in choosing Campbell because his family can come see him play and the school will play opponents from Power Four conferences over the next two seasons.
“Next year they play NC State and ECU (East Carolina University) and my sophomore year we play Florida and my junior year we play Wake Forest,” he said. “We play those big time teams to help get my name out there and play on a national level.”
Ambrose said that one of his goals is to get drafted by an NFL team.
“Life will take me where it takes me, but there is no doubt in my mind I can get there and play,” he said.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
